The spunky Helen (Helen Holmes) is our hero as a telegraph operator at a remote location along a railroad. She dashes to the rescue when a train engine goes out of control.

Part of a long running series, running between 1914 and 1917.

Copied at 18fps from the Republic Collection at the Library of Congress.


This movie is part of the collection: Short Format Films

Sponsor: Kalem Company
Audio/Visual: silent, black & white
Keywords: action; serial; railroad

Creative Commons license: Public Domain

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Reviewer: qrper - - July 17, 2011
Subject: Wish there was more
It is a shame the serial isn't complete. Or at least like "Pauline", enough to make some sense of it.

Women telegraphers were not unheard of at the time. On film, Griffith's The Girl and Her Trust and The Lonedale Operator come to mind. I am sure there are other early films with women featured as telegraph operators.

Reviewer: g rated - - June 16, 2008
Subject: 5 star Silent film
you will love this one

Reviewer: silent-film - - December 23, 2007
Subject: Your HAZARDS OF HELEN film find
If your Hazards of Helen film truly is 35mm, then you should get it to an archive like the BFI. Vintage 35mm film is made of nitrate, which is highly flammable. This film can also decompose. Only about 20 of the 119 episodes of THE HAZARDS OF HELEN are known to exist. Several were sold in 8mm and 16mm for the home collector's market.

Reviewer: Michal 2 - - October 27, 2007
Subject: The Hazards of Helen
I was at the A3 and there was a car boot being held on a field one Sunday morning a few years ago. There was a lady who had just bought a house. She had found in her new loft an old thirty five millimeter cinematic film and it is an original copy of the Hazards of Helen from 1914. She wanted £5 for it so I bought it! I never know what to do with such a thing. Is it worth anything?

Reviewer: manavkaushik - - November 24, 2005
Subject: The World's First Stuntwoman
Who says the subject of voilence in films is not very old. Remember The Great Train Robbery, the old two reeler. It had gunshots, killings, horse chase and what not! By the way FRANK HANAWAY,the world's first stuntman was seen in it.

Well! Well! What about the world's first stuntwoman? Download this short and you would see her doing her action. Nothing great about this short but yes it is from the vintage vault. And you can see the world's first stuntwoman. ENJOY !!

Reviewer: bobsluckycat - - July 20, 2005
Subject: None Stop Action!
This episode of the long running serial is a primer which people like Nat Levine, Barney Serecky, Spenser Gordon Bennett, William Whitney, among others, honed into a fine art in the early sound era. Though silent this has everything going for it. Location footage in and around trains, rails, rail-yards. Sexist male attitudes. Honest train chasing thrills, well staged. A dauntless, attractive heroine to the rescue, even a happy ending. Extremely well done, especially being 90 years old and before all the technical inventions in film since then. A must see for any true student of film and/or serial buff.